Cooling and mixing machine



June 15,1926. 1,589,079

J. E. JOHNSON El AL COOLING AND MIXING MACHINE Ori an an ae I a 68 ea I -4 66' 61 60 cc, J L L MWS 1756/7 Ema/roe! 1-]5/msoh June 15 1926.

J. E. JOHNSON ET AL COOLING AND MIXING MACHINE Original Filed 001. 27, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 :75/1/1 Ema/161M TBA/won Chm-fag H Oslunc/ June 1-5 1926. 1,589,079

J. E. JOHNSON ET AL COOLING AND MIXING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 27, 1 923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Hafi- MIM \JOW 775/01 Emanuzl 175 0 Cha/Jzo H. odluno Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN EMANUEL JOHNSON AND CHARLES H. OSLUND, OF WORCESTER, MA SSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE & I MACHINE CCMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ooonme Am) mxmo MACHINE.

Application filed October .27, 1923, Serial No. 671,238. Renewed December}, 1925.

This invention relates to a machine for taking bottles from a crowning or other sealing machine, subjecting them to a series that process. In the manufacture and putting up of such commodities as ketchup the bottles are heated to a high degree at the time when they are crowned. -With this machine they can be taken automatically from the crowning machine and subjected to three baths of water for cooling purposes, each bath being a little cooler than the one 1 before and at the same time the bottles can be rotated and tilted along their axes so that the contents will be thoroughly mixed while they'are being cooled. They can be discharged from the machine in a cool enough condition so that they can be packed in cases and shipped immediately, if desired.

The invention also involves an improved mechanism for conveying the bottles back and forth through the tanks, an improved relationship of the tanks, means for keeping them at different temperatures, and mechanism for operating the endless chain conveyors, as well as the'details of the con- 80 veyors and sprockets for driving the same and means for controlling the admission of the bottles into the machine.

Additional objects and advantages of the. invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a plan of the receiving end of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a similar plan of the discharge 4 end of the machine on the same scale, it being understood that a large part of the machine is omitted between these two views; Fig. '3 is an elevationof the means for feeding the bottles into the machinev from the crowner and of the sprocket mechanism at the receiving end of the machine, looking I in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. '1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine partly broken away to show interior construction;,

Fig. 5 is-a sectionalview on the hne 55 of Fig. 4; 7 Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the sprocker wheels;

7 is a diametrical sectional view of the same;

Fig. 8 is aside View of a portion of the devlce on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan of a part of the machine showing the tipping" of the bottles from horizontal to inclined position;

Fig. 10 15 a sectional view on the line ketc up bottles which have been crowned in a highly heated state in a'crowning machine, introducing them in a vertical state, resting on their bottoms, into a tankof water somewhat cooler than the contents of the bottles so as to reduce the temperature thereof but not cool enough to crack the glass, tilting them over on their sides in this water. and conveying them along therein in such a wayas to roll them and thereby mix the contents thoroughly while they are traversing the bath. Then I provide means for tiltingthe bottles into vertical position and shifting them from this'bath into a second one at the end of theirtravel. This secondbath is heated to a lower temperature so as to reduce the temperature of the goods still further and yet not present any danger of breaking the bottles. The bottles are rolled alongin this bath and then brought to u right position again which, it will be 0 served further, assists in mixing the contents, and then carried on into a third bath at a still lower temperature to cool them down to normal and further mix the contents in the same way. These three baths are. arranged parallel with each other and the bottles are conveyed through them by three endless chains, the two on the outside taking them in the same direction and the center one taking them back so that they are received at one end of the machine and discharged at the other. This will indicate the general nature of the machine.

- We have provided a general large tank 10 divided into three compartments 11, .12 and 13 longitudinally. These compartments .by water or steam entering the several tanks separately through pipes 14, 15 and 16. The tanks are heated to different temperatures for the purpose above described and the heat is distributed to the water in the tanks by arranging pipes or coils in the bottom of each tank communicating with the several supply pipes as indicated more especially in Fig. 5 or in any other desired way.

The machine can be run in any desired way but we have shown a motor 20 which by pinion, not shown, on its shaft operates a gear 21 fixed on a shaft 22 provided with a pinion 23 for driving a gear 24 runnlng loose on a bushing 90 which is keyed to a shaft 25. Keyed to bushing 90 is a friction disc 91 having a leather disc 92 fixed to 1t. By meansof springs 93 mounted on studs 94 and the friction device the gear 24 drives the shaft 25. On this shaft 25 there is a pinion 26 driving a gear 27 keyed on the main shaft 28 of the machine which is located at the .discharge end thereof. On this main shaft 28 there are three sprocket wheels 33, 40 and 41.

The first sprocket wheel has a hub 29 provided with a disc 30. On this disc are arranged three bolts 31 which pass through arcuate slots 32 in an-annular plate 33. Therefore it will be seen that this annular plate can be adjusted circumferential ly on the hub of the sprocket wheel. On this hub are lugs 34 provided with screws 35 entering lugs 36 projecting from the inner side of the annular plate 33 so that by turning one in and the other out this plate can be adjusted and then the bolts 31 tightened up to hold it in adjusted position. On this annular plate 33 are sprocket teeth 37 so that the plate with the other parts just described constitutes the 'first sprocket wheel. It will be seen that the teeth of this sprocket wheel are adjustable around the shaft to a certain degree.

At the other end of the shaft is another sprocket wheel designated 40 of the same character as the sprocket wheel just de scribed. Intermediate between these two sprocket wheels is a third sprocket wheel 41 j which is of the ordinary kind and not having any adjustment preferably but free on the shaft. 4

Over each' of these sprocket wheels passes a chain.

' only one of themwill be described Each one The three chains are just alike and tegral pairof hooks 46 at one end and with a transverse projecting stud 47 at the other entering the next hooks. Under the plates 44 are spaces 48 that receive the teeth 37 of the sprocket wheel and each link has a transverse wall 49; It will be seen therefore that the three chains 50, 51 and 52 in the three tanks 11, 12 and 13 are operated by three sprocket wheels. The two outer chains and 52 are operated in thesame direction to bring the bottles toward the shaft 28 on the upper strand of the chain. The central chain 51 is moved in the opposite direction to carry the bottles back as will appear.

At the other end of the machine there is a shaft 54 parallel with the shaft 28 and having upon it two sprocket wheels 55 and 56 in line with the sprocket wheels 33 and 40 and receiving the same chains by which they are rotated positively. They are fixed on this shaft 54 and turn it.

gear 58 on a shaft 59 on which is a sprocket wheel 60 like the sprocket wheels 33 and 40 and opposite the sprocket wheel 41 which is loose on its shaft. On account of this gearing the sprocket wheel 60 rotates in the opposite direction to the sprocket wheels 55 and 56 and this is the wheel which positively rotates the endless chain 51 and moves it in a direction opposite to that in which shaft 62. Also on the end of the shaft 54' there is a gear which operates a longitudinal shaft 66 having a sprocket wheel 67 for operating a feed belt 68. The relation between the gears 61, 65 and the number of cam projections on the cam 63 is such that for each bottle fed out of the crowning machine on the endless feed belt 68 the lever 64 willbe operated back and forth. The end of this lever engages a roll 70 mounted on a lever 71. This latter lever has a spring 72 for moving it back and a latch 73 on the end for preventing the discharge of a bottle Also fixed on thls shaft 54 is a gear 57 meshing with a from the conveyor' 68 except when it is drawn back, which is accomplished periodically by the operation of the cam 63. This permits the bottles to be fed from the conveyor 68.

The latch 7 3 is pivoted on the end of the lever 71. One end of the latch 73 projects into the conveyor in front of the bottles. The other end is held .n a groove 74 in a stationary casting 95 by means of an adjustable spring 98 mounted on the lever 71. This looks the lever 71 against moving back. The bottle hits the projecting latch 73 throwing the other end out of the groove 74 in the casting 95 and releasing the lever 71 so it can be moved back by the spring 72 whenever the cam 63 turns toa position to allow that motion. Ordinarily the lever 71 does not move if there are no bottles on the conveyor 68 because it remains locked by the latch 73.

The conveyor 68 is higher than the conveyor 50 and the bottles are tipped over by gravity and fall on their sides on rubber pads 96 between two of the plates of the conveyor 50.

The partof this conveyor which is in position to receive the bottles from the conveyor 68 is elevated as shown in Fig. 4. The bottles are moved along horizontally on the conveyor 50 for a sli ht distance and then the conveyor is allowed to descend by a guide below which supports it so that the bottles are brought down into the water of the first tank 11. As the conveyor, 50 continues to move forward they are rolled along for mixing the contents, as above explained.

,The bottles having passed on down in the tank 11 which is filled with hot water, but considerably cooler than the contents of the bottles, they will roll along inthis tank for a considerable period of time while the contents are being mixed and cooled.

As they come to the other end of the tank the chain is brought up to an elevated posi- -tion and then the bottles continue ,to roll along with their necks resting on a horizontal' ledge or guide plate 77 and their butts against a vertical wall 78. The former gradually rises and forces them up as shown in Fig. 10, to a slightly inclined position. This guide plate continues to pro'ect further into the path of the bottles until it tips them up into the vertical position as shown in Fig.' 9 at the left.

Then there is a slanting deflecting wall 79 located across the conveyor and over the tops of the plates 45 which slides the bottles over to the side as shown in Fig. 2. They are then taken up by a rotating gateor turn-stile 80 fixed on a vertical shaft 81 and driven y from one of the two adjacent chains by the plates 45 thereon engaging teeth 82 on the shaft 81.

. This gate necessarily operates exactly in synchronism with the chains 50 and 51 and its projecting points register with the spacing plates 45 thereof on both sides so that'it moves the bottles around from one chain conveyor to the other, takes them from between slightly inclined position as shown in detail in Fig. 11.

This guide plate continues toproject further until the bottles are tipped over into horizontal position. They are then rolled along in the second tank 12, which is filled with cooler water, until they come to a deflector 79 just as before and are carried by another gate 80 over to the third conveyor- 52 in the same way as described above. Here the bottles have been righted to vertical position and have been deposited on the conthird deflector 79 forces them out of the machine into a receiver 89 from which they can betaken by hand or conveyor, as may be'desired. Y

The bottles are cooled down to normal by this time and their contents thoroughly mixed. It will be seen therefore that in this way the machine provides for automatically feeding the bottles from the crowning machine to the point of discharge, cooling them gradual but constantly and thoroughly mixing t 1e contents practically all the time. The mixing is done not only by rolling the bottles along but by tilting the bottles up to vertical position three times during the process and tipping them down from vertical to nearly horizontal osition three times also.

Although we ave illustrated and described only a single form of the invention we are aware of the fact that modifications. can be made therein by any person skilled in veyorin each tank, means for operating the.

conveyors in theadjacent tanks in opposite directions, whereby the bottles or the like can be conveyed along one tank to the end thereof, and movable mechanical means 210-.

tuated bythe motion of the conveyors for transferring the bottles from one conveyor to the other so that they can be transferred back substantially to thestarting point. 2. In a conveying machine for bottles and the like, the combination'of. a plurality of parallel tanks, 2. corres ond'ing series of parallel conveyors 1n sai tanks ada ted to receive the bottles and carry them a ong in the tanks immersed'in the water therein, means-for delivering the bottles to the receiving end of the" first conveyor in horizontal position so as to be carried through thereto.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of two conveyors, with a deflector plate at the discharge end of one of the conveyors for deflecting the articles therefrom sideways as the. conveyor travels along in a path, said conveyor having spacin plates between which the articles are a apted to be located thereon, the second conveyor having its receiving portion at substantially the same elevation as the discharge portion of the first conveyor, a turnstile between the two conveyors adjacent to said deflector, said'turnstile having projecting points at the same distanceapart as the spacing plates on the conveyors, whereby when an article is forced out sideways by the deflector from the first conveyor it will be received between two of the points on the turnstile and the further motion of the conveyors will push it along and turn the turnstile to start the article around the turnstile toward the second conveyor.

- 4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of two parallel endless conveyors for receiving bottles or the 'like, with a deflector plate at the discharge end of one of the conveyors for deflecting the bottles therefrom sideways as the conveyortravels along in a straight path, said conveyor having spacing plates between which the bottles are adapted to be located thereon, the second conveyor being located parallel with the first and running in the opposite direction and having its receiving portion at the same elevation as the discharge portion of the first conveyor, a turnstile between the two conveyors adjacent to said deflector, said turnstile having projecting points at the same distance apart as the spaclng plates 'on the conveyors, whereby when a bottle is forced out sideways by the deflector from the first conveyor it will be received between two of the points on the turnstile and the further'motion of the conveyors will push that bottle along and turn the turnstile to start the bottle around the turnstile toward the second conveyor, and the feeding motion of the first conveyor forward another step to feed another Jbottle out sideways will have a corresponding efiect and will also tend to force the first mentioned bottle further around, saidturnstile being-provided with a guard plate around it to prevent the bottles from moving out of contact with it as the turnstile rotates.

5. In a ,machine of the character described, the combination with three parallel .tanlrs having guides therein, of three paralthird conveyor, and means for sliding the bottles off the third conveyor sideways to discharge them from the machine.

. 6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with three parallel tanks having guides therein, of three parallel endless conveyors located in the respective tanks, means for moving the two outside conveyors in the same direction and for movingthe middle conveyor in the opposite direction, means for introducing bottles or the like on the receiving end of the first conveyor, means whereby the-bottles are tipped over into horizontal position on said conveyor and rolled along through the tank thereby, means whereby the bottles are brought to an upright position on the conveyor at the discharge end, means for sliding the bottles off the first conveyor side ways for delivering them in the sameplane on the receiving end of the second conveyor, the second conveyor having means for tilting the bottles over and rolling them along through its tank and then bringing them to upright position at the .end, means for sliding the bottles off the discharge end of the second conveyor and on third conveyor having means for tilting the bottles over into inclined position and rollingthem along through its tank, means for righting the bottles at the discharge end thereof, and means for sliding the bottles the receiving end of the third conveyor, the

shaft at the other end of the maclnne having two sprocket wheels fixed thereto for receiving the first two conveyors, a third shaft, means for rotating .the third shaft from the second shaft in the opposite direction, and a sprocket wheel fixedto the third shaft engaging the third conveyor for positively moving it in the direction opposite to that of thefirst two conveyors.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with three parallel tanks, of three parallel endless conveyors located in said tanks, a drivingfsha-ft, a pair driving sprocket wheels fixed on said driving shaft and connected with the two outside conveyors for driving them positively in the same direction,a third sprocket wheel loosely mounted on the driving shaft connected with the middle conveyor, a parallel shaft at the'otherend'of the machine having two sprocket wheels fixed thereto for receivmg the outside conveyors, .a third shaft, means for rotating the third shaft from the second shaft in the opposite direction, and a sprocket wheel fixed to the third shaft engagmg the middle conveyor for positively moving it in the direction op posite to that of the other conveyors, each of said conveyors comprising a series of links pivoted together, each link having a spacing plate projecting at right angles therefrom, whereby the articles to be received and conveved can be located between two adjacent spacing plates.

9. In -a machine of the character described, the combination with three parallel tanks, of three parallel endless conveyors located in said tanks, a driving shaft, a pair of driving sprocket wheels fixed on said driving shaft and connected with the two" them posioutside conveyors for drivin tively inthe same direction, a t ird sprocket wheel loosely mounted" on the driving shaft connected with the middle conveyor, a parallel shaft at the other end of the machine having two sprocket wheels receiving the outside conveyors fixed to. the second shaft for rotating it, a third shaft; means for rotatin the third shaft from the second shaft in the opposite direction, and. a

sprocket wheel fixed to the third shaft enthe middleconve or for positively figlpg it'in the directioii opposite to that of the other conveyors, the two first mentioned sprocket wheels and the last mentioned s rocket wheel each comprising a hub fixefon its driving shaft, and an annular plate secured to said hub and adjustable circumferentially and provided with sprocket teeth thereon.

10. In a conveyor, the combination with a tank, a driving shaft, a sprocket wheel on the driving shaft, an endless conveyor chain engaging the sprocket wheel to be operated thereby, a companion sprocket wheel forsupporting the other end of the chain, a second shaft on which the sprocket wheel is fixed, a cam wheel connected with the second shaft to be operated in synchronism therewith, a feed belt for conveying articles to the conveyor chain, means connected with the second shaft for operating thefeed belt at a definite relation to the speed of the second shaft, a stop adjacent to the feedbelt, and means operated by'the cam wheel for periodically removing the stop to permit individual articles to pass over the end of the, feed belt on the chain conveyor.

11.'The combination with a coolin and a conveyor therein for receiving ottles or the like thereon, of a feed belt for con veying the bottles thereto and depositing them over its end thereon, a lever, a latch on thelever projectin into the ath of a bottle on the belt and a apted to having means for normally locking the lever against mot on in a direction to I. mit the bottles to pass off the belt, yieldiiig' means tending constantly to move the lever to a position in which the latch projects into the path of the bottles, and means operated by. said conveyor for periodically and positank e actuated by such bottle to unlock the lever, said latch tively holding the lever in a position to revent the discharge of )bottles fromthe elt,

except at the moments whenthe conveyor is 'in exact position to receive them.

p 12. The combination with a. coolin tank and a conveyor therein for receiving ottles or the like thereon, of a feed belt for'conveying .thebottles thereto and depositing them over its end thereon, a lever, and a' aflixed our signa ures.

JOHN EMANUEL- JOHNSON. CHARLES H. os UNp. 

